Winona pleads not guilty

Actress Winona Ryder has pleaded not guilty to shoplifting from an exclusive Beverly Hills department store, it was announced today.

Ryder, 30, was due in court this Friday to face charges of theft, burglary, vandalism and possession of Oxycodone - a controlled drug.

But she instead appeared before Beverly Hills Court yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said.

She said Ryder pleaded not guilty to all of the four felony charges filed against her and will return to court on March 11 when a date will be set for a preliminary hearing.

On Friday, the DA's office announced that charges had been filed against the Hollywood star.

Ryder was arrested on December 12, last year, in Wilshire Boulevard, one of Los Angeles' most prestigious shopping addresses, outside top store Saks of Fifth Avenue after police were called by security staff.

She is alleged to have stolen several items valued at between 4,000 dollars and 5,000 dollars from the store.

Police allege the actress, who has appeared in films such as Little Women and Girl, Interrupted, was seen on a store security camera using a pair of scissors to cut security tags off merchandise.

She was also found in possession of pharmaceutical drugs for which she allegedly had no prescription when she was arrested.

Ryder was released on bail of 20,000 dollars (£14,000) after being taken to the Beverly Hills Police Department.

Following her arrest, Ryder's lawyer Mark Geragos denied the allegations. He said the actress had a prescription for the painkillers and receipts for the items she allegedly stole.

He said the incident was a "misunderstanding on the part of the store" and that Ryder was carrying the items between store departments.

Meanwhile in a statement last Friday, Ryder's publicist Mara Buxbaum said: "We are shocked at what appear to be grossly exaggerated charges.

"We look forward to the opportunity to explain and resolve these allegations."

Ryder played the mentally ill writer Susanna Kaysen in Girl, Interrupted played a cameo role as herself in comedy Zoolander while her breakthrough role was in the 1988 comedy hit Beetlejuice.

Twice nominated for an Oscar, she won critical acclaim for playing docile May Welland in the Age of Innocence, but has always had a reputation as a Hollywood eccentric.

Despite being naturally blonde, she has dyed her hair dark since the age of 16 and refuses to help promote her films.

Her godfather was LSD guru Dr Timothy Leary and she was brought up in the Californian counter-culture.

Ryder split from then fiance Matt Damon last year and also had a relationship with actor Johnny Depp. The actor had himself tattooed: "Winona Forever", but after they split had laser treatment to alter it to "Wino Forever".